Electronic still cameras (digital cameras) and video cameras perform framing to check position and size of a subject. This framing is performed before recording an image by pressing a shutter button. In the framing, an image sensor such as CCD and MOS produces through images by capturing a main subject at a predetermined frame rate. The through images are shown on a display. A user observes the through images and checks position, size, condition and the like of the main subject. The display is provided on a rear surface of a camera body or foldably attached to the camera body.
In still image capture, one frame is captured with a single press of the shutter button. The recent cameras adopt a function to continuously capture multiple frames with different shooting conditions, such as exposure values, so as not to miss shutter chances. For example, cameras with Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) function capture several frames in sequence at different exposure values: one frame at an appropriate exposure value, and several other frames at the exposure values in ½ or ⅓-step increments compared to the appropriate exposure value.
It is convenient if each frame with different shooting condition can be checked before recording an image. It is proposed for film cameras that plural images with different shooting conditions simulating frames to be recorded on a photographic film are displayed side by side during the framing (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 5-110912). The film camera disclosed in the above publication is provided with a photographing optical system for recording frames on the photographic film. Besides the photographing optical system, the film camera is also provided with an electronic view finder (EVF). This EVF is constituted of a finder optical system, an aperture stop, an image sensor, and a liquid crystal panel. The image sensor in the EVF sequentially captures plural frames while gradually changing an exposure value and stores the frames to a memory. The frames are an image corresponding to a frame to be recorded on the film at an appropriate exposure value and at least an image corresponding to a frame to be recorded on the film with exposure compensation applied to the appropriate exposure value. The images read out from the memory are displayed small side by side on the liquid crystal panel. When an aperture stop value as the shooting condition is changed, frames are captured with the image sensor while gradually changing the aperture stop. When a shutter speed is changed, frames are captured while gradually changing charge storage time of the image sensor.
In this film camera, the images displayed on the liquid crystal panel are observed and one with an appropriate brightness for its main subject is selected. Then, the shooting condition providing this image is selected and a picture is taken. In this film camera, however, it takes time before displaying plural frames side by side since the images are captured with the image sensor while changing the shooting condition such as the exposure value. For this configuration, the condition of the main subject may differ from frame to frame when the subject varies constantly. Accordingly, it becomes difficult to properly evaluate the frames. Moreover, the state of the main subject changes between when the images are displayed on the liquid crystal panel and when the shutter button is pressed.